Hydrogen peroxide hair bleaching composition and method



United States Patent 3,193,464 HYDROGEN PEROXIDE HAIR BLEACHING COMPOSITION AND METHOD Walter W. Edman, Port Washington, and Anne T. Sullivan, Hollis, N.Y., assignors to Sales Aflilites, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York No Drawing. Filed May 31, 1961, Ser. No. 113,605 Claims. (Cl. 167-88) This invention relates to a novel hair bleaching composition and particularly to a hair bleaching composition that produces a more effective, more versatile and more comfortable bleaching action on the hair.

Any process relating to the treatment of hair must take into account a tremendous number of variables; the bleaching process is no exception. Hairs differ from head to head and even on the same head in natural color, texture, resistance to treatment, size (diameter), condition, porosity, etc.

Bleaching, basically, is a process of removing the natural color from hair. Because of the virtually unlimited variations of hair colors, bleaching per so, does not usually produce a uniform or aesthetically pleasing color in 'hair, nor will it produce a color tone other than that inherent in the hair. For these reasons hair that has been bleached is subsequently treated with a hair toner, a composition containing a hair dye which imparts the desired end-color to the bleached hair.

The degree to which the natural color must be bleached from the hair is primarily determined by the desired endcolor. The toners do not lighten the shade of hair to any great extent; they impart their tone coloration to hair pre-bleached to the basic blonde shade desired, e.g. pastel blonde color tone is achieved in hair pro-bleached to pale blonde not in hair pre-bleached only to a light brown.

The hair colors desired by patrons vary from the mere highlighting of hair through to the palest blonde shade. The bleaching compositions therefore must be capable of producing mild bleaching, high bleaching and all degrees of bleaching in between.

Some heads have virgin or untreated hair; others have bleached and/ or dyed hair. If the patron desires to alter the color of her pre-treated hair, the dye color is usually stripped from the hair by a strong bleaching composition. Many problems relating to bleaching virgin hair also apply to this type of bleaching or stripping of hair, therefore both hair conditions are treated as one, unless otherwise stated herein.

An entire head of hair may be bleached or only portions thereof, i.e. new growth of hair, streaking or tipping tresses of hair.

In the present art of hair bleaching, there are some bleaches formulated solely for mild bleaching, others only for high bleaching and some products offered for the accomplishment of the entire range of bleaching. Each type has certain disadvantages.

The limitations of a mild bleaching agent are obvious, namely, that it is incapable of producing a high degree of bleach within a reasonable length of time. The high bleach products burn the scalp. In the high bleaching products the high concentration of active ingredients in contact with the scalp causes considerable discomfort to the patron, in some cases, a biting, stinging, burning sensation which may be so intolerable that the patrons hair must be bleached in several sittings rather than at one time. This is undesirable from the standpoint of the patron and the operator. The more versatile bleaches on the market also encouter the irritation problem from high bleaching action. The combination of the reagents 3,193,464 Patented July 6, 1965 produces an exothermic chemical reaction. This heat intensifies the sensitivity of the scalp to the peroxide free alkali, etc.

Hair color consists of granular coloring such as black, which is easily bleached out, and diffused red coloring which is more resistant to bleaching. Because of its resistance, red tonesare found in all but the higher stages of bleached hair. The shades and intensity of red in the hair vary from individual to individual and even on the same head. As the principal purpose of bleaching is to arrive at a blonde shade, these red tones produce an undesirable color effect. They confer a highly artificial-looking color to hair and impart a brassy tone to blonde shades. Any red hue remaining in the hair interferes with the color imparted by the hair toner, producing an off-color. The presently marketed bleaches eliminate the interfering red coloration by bleaching the hair further. Thus the hair is bleached in excess, that is, to a lighter blonde shade than that necessary for a particular toner, just to remove a concomitant, interfering color.

All bleaching damages the hair. Bleaches not only affect the color of the hair but also the hair fibre itself. It is therefore preferable to limit the level of bleaching to that which is necessary to achieve the desired end-color.

Applicants invention overcomes the disadvantages of formation of off-color, uncomfortable bleaching, separate bleaches for particular degrees of bleaching, etc.

An object of applicants invention is to provide a novel method of bleaching hair and a novel hair bleach composition that bleaches or strips the color from hair with a maximum of comfort to the patron.

Another object is to provide a novel hair bleach composition that bleaches or strips the color from hair at lower temeprature than heretofore possible.

A further object is to provide a novel hair bleach composition that is more versatile than many presently used bleach compositions.

A still further object is to provide a novel hair bleach composition that bleaches hair lighter than other bleach compositions.

Another object is to provide a novel hair bleach composition that bleaches hair at a more rapid rate than other bleaches.

A further object is to provide a novel hair bleach composition that eliminates the red tones in bleached hair more eificiently and elfectively with less hair damage than heretofore possible.

Other objects and advantages will be set forth herein or will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by practice with the invention.

Applicants invention consists of a novel bleaching composition containing a novel bleach and a novel bleach accelerator or booster. Applicants novel bleaching composition contains a drabbing agent and a coolant. A drabbing agent is one that eliminates undesirable warm tones which occur during the bleaching of hair. A coolant is an agent that produces a lower solution temperature in the bleach.

The bleach is a combination of bleach base and hydrogen peroxide in the ratio of about 2 parts of peroxide to each part of base. The peroxide, usually 20 volume, bleaches hair most effectively in an alkaline medium. Many alkaline materials have been used, but ammonia is the most effective reagent for activating the peroxide.

Applicants bleach base is comprised of the combination of liquid soaps, such as ammonium oleate, laurate and stearate; hair conditioners, such as propylene glycol, glycerine, etc.; soap solubilizers, such as the lower alcohols; and thickening agents, such as fatty acid amides and amines; NH OH in quantity sufficient to neutralize the fatty acid and to provide an excess of free ammonia from about /z% to about 1 /2% to activate the bleaching actions and to adjust the pH to a range of from about pH 9 to about pH 9.7; a heavy metal sequestering agent such as, salts of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid' and polyphosphates; and a metal complex azo dye drabbing agent.

Upon the addition of the peroxide to applicants bleach base, the viscosity of the liquid base is substantially increased, virtually to the point of a gel.

While the bleaching action is independent of the con- I sistency of the composition, it is difiicult, in practice, for an operator to control the application of water-thin bleach, particularly when only portions of the hair are to be lightened. The preferred consistency is one suflicient to maintain its applied locale without running, dripping or creeping.

Metal-complex azo dyes are well known. Basically, they are polyvalent metal containing azo dyes in which two molecules of dye are complexed with one metal atom (2:1 complexes). These type of dyes have been described in various patents and articles, for example U.S. Patents Nos. 2,551,056, 2,730,522, 2,817,655 and G. Shettys article in J. Soc. Dyers Col. 71, 705-724, 1955. Presently there are several such dye products marketed by various companies, e.g. Du Ponts Capracyl, Cibas Cibalan, Geigys Irgalan, etc.

Applicants have found that the presence of the blue shades of such dyes will produce the desired drab on the hair; however, the duller blue shades produce optimum drabbing coloration. This result is highly unexpected in view of the fact that these dyes are suitable for dyeing in an acid to neutral pH range whereas in applicants bleach the pH is in the alkaline range; also the dye does not interfere with nor is affected by the strong oxidizing medium.

The blue dye is present in relatively low concentration. Slightly lesser or greater amounts (0.0'5'to 2.0%) may be used, depending upon the desired drabbing effect, but about 0.1% produces a satisfactory effect.

The dye combines with the hair to overcome the concomitant red tones in the bleached hair. The brassy and similar harsh tones are thus eliminated, which permits the toner to impart its coloration without off-color interference from such residual color in the air. The drab effect is also important in those cases where a hair toner treatment is not given to the hair. Iii such cases, the offcolor from red tones would be even more obvious, and the drab effect permits the hair to assume the developed blonde tones in true color.

The boosters, in essence, are an additional source of oxygen added to the bleach immediately prior to use on the hair.

Applicants bleach booster contains an'additional source of bleach, Le. a mixture of ammonium persulfate and potassium persulfate, sodium metasilicate; peroxide stabilizer, such as a heavy metal sequestrant; anti-caking agent, such as a silica; thickening agents, such as cetyl, or lauryl alcohol; and urea.

While the proportions by weight between the ammonium persulfate and sodium metasilicate may be 2 parts of the former to each part of the latter, it has been found that a greater amount of free NH is obtained, unexpectedly, when the ratio is 1: l.

The urea produces the coolant effect in the bleach composition. The greater the concentration of urea, the lower the temperature of the composition, e.g. when the urea constitutes about 35-40% by weight of 23 grams of booster, the temperature is 910 F. lower than room temperature.

In addition to the coolant effect produced bythe urea in the solution, applicants find that the presence of urea unexpectedly stabilizes the pH of the bleach which increases the bleaching action of the composition so that hair may be bleached to a higher degree than other bleaches in an equivalent length of time. The bleaching is affected with a maximum of comfort. In addition to this the urea functions as a carrier for the thickening agents and as a humectant in the bleach composition to prevent undesirable drying during the bleaching process.

Upon the addition of applicants booster to their bleach, there is an immediate drop in temperature; the resulting temperature of the bleaching composition is below room temperature. As a consequence the active ingredients of the composition are in contact with the scalp at a lower temperature, which abates the occasion of irritation. One would expect a bleaching composition at a lower temperature to react at a slower rate, however, surprisingly applicants novel composition has a faster bleaching action.

The following examples are given to illustrate applicants bleach base and bleach booster.

When the materials are combined the oxidation process begins, therefore the bleach base, peroxide and bleach booster are mixed immediately prior to performing the bleaching action. It is most convenient to combine the composition in an applicator bottle, which is usually made of plastic.

Add 4 oz. of peroxide followed by 46 grams of the booster and lastly 2 oz. of the bleach base. If the hair is highly resistant and a high bleaching is required, an additional 23 grams of booster may be added; if lesser bleaching is necessary and the hair is easily bleached, 23 grams of booster may be used instead of the 46 grams. The combined materials should be shaken to assure that they are all in solution and/ or homogeneous dispersion.

In general, it is best not to shampoo the hair immediately prior to the bleaching treatment as the scalp may become sensitive.

If the hair is very easy to bleach, or if the natural hair is very light in color, and an extremely light or mild bleaching action, such as highlighting the hair, is desired, the bleach may be used alone. However, in the vast majority of cases the bleach accelerator or booster is vital to the bleaching action. Normal or resistant hair does not bleach even a few shades lighter, within a reasonable length of time, without the booster; high bleaching necessitates the presence of the booster. Applicants novel bleaching composition will produce the entire range of bleaching from a mild bleaching effect to the highest degree of bleaching. However, with the very mildest of bleaching on easy-to-bleach or light colored hair, the time of application becomes an important factor. Assuming it takes the operator fifteen minutes to apply the composition, if the bleaching composition produces the desired color in ten minutes, the operator must apply the bleach to only sections of the hair at one time, wait for color development, rinse the bleach from the hair and repeat the procedure until the entire head is bleached. Such a procedure, while feasible, is troublesome and time consuming. As the occasion of irritation during this very mild bleaching is so slight, there is little advantage to using the combination of applicants bleach and booster as weighed against the use of the bleach alone. This type of bleaching is so infrequent compared to the vast majority of bleaching processes that the consideration of using a bleach without booster is virtually academic. As regarded herein, applicants novel bleaching composition comprises the combination of bleach and booster.

Applicants have found that the metal complex azo dye may be present in the booster in lieu of the bleach, but as the booster and bleach are combined to form the bleach ing composition, it is immaterial, from the standpoint of its activity, in which fraction of the bleaching composition it is originally. However, as the drab efiect is desired even in those rare instances Where the bleach is used without the booster, it is more efficacious to place the drab in the bleach.

The technique followed in bleaching the hair may vary, depending upon the viscosity of the bleaching composition, the location and amount of hair to be bleached, etc.

An example of a technique, utilizing the plastic applier bottle, for bleaching the entire head of hair is as follows:

Making /2 inch partings, apply the bleaching composition to hair, making certain that each strand is saturated along the entire hair shaft, continue partings and application of bleaching composition until all the hair is treated. Clean oil a hair tress to check the color at various time intervals until the desired hair shade is attained, reapplying bleach to the checked tress if the hair is not light enough. As soon as the desired color is attained, rinse off the bleaching composition and lightly shampoo the hair. Towel dry the hair and apply the toner, following the directions on the toner.

Frequently in bleaching the entire hair, the bleaching composition is applied to the hair from about an inch away from the scalp down through the ends of the hair. When a color slightly darker than the desired shade is obtained, the bleaching composition is then applied to the scalp end of the hair (usually with smaller partings of about /2 inch) and the entire head is then allowed to process until the desired shade is attained. At this point the hair is rinsed, etc., as stated above.

The length of time the bleaching composition remains in contact with the hair varies with the degree of bleach desired and the resistant quality of the hair. In general, the color of the hair is checked after 20 minutes and at frequent intervals thereafter; One hour is the average bleaching time.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific steps, compositions, etc. described but departure may be had therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

We claim:

1. A hair bleaching composition comprising the comprising the combination of a bleach base, a bleaching agent, a bleach booster and a coolant; said bleach base being a carrier, containing ammonium hydroxide in an amount to provide /2 to 1 /2 free ammonia; said bleaching agent being hydrogen peroxide; said bleach booster consisting essentially of at least one water soluble persulfate in combination with sodium metasilicate; and, said coolant being urea in an amount to produce a coolant effect on the head in the use of said bleaching composition.

2.A hair bleaching composition as in claim 1 containing a metal complex azo blue dye in an amount from 0.05 to 2.0% by weight of the total composition as a drabbing agent.

3. A hair bleaching composition as in claim 2, wherein the persulfate component is a mixture of ammonium persulfate and potassium persulfate.

4. A hair bleaching composition comprising the combination of a bleach base, a bleaching agent, a bleaching booster and a drabbing agent; said bleach base being a carrier containing ammonium hydroxide in an amount to provide /2 to 1 /2 free ammonia; said bleaching agent being hydrogen peroxide; said bleach booster consisting essentially of at least one water soluble persulfate in combination with sodium metasilicate; and, said drab hing agent being a metal complex azo blue dye in an amount from 0.05 to 2.0% by weight of the total composition.

5. The method of bleaching hair comprising the steps of treating hair with a bleaching composition comprising the combination of a bleach base, a bleaching agent, a bleach booster and a coolant; said bleach base being a carrier, containing ammonium hydroxide in an amount to provide /2 to 1 /2% free ammonia; said bleaching agent being hydrogen peroxide; said bleach booster consisting essentially of at least one water soluble persulfate in combination with sodium metasilicate; and, said coolant being urea in a amount to produce a coolant etfect on the head in the use of said bleaching composition.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,081,327 5/37 Franz 252186 X 2,185,467 1/40 Kritchevsky 16788 2,679,483 5/54 Armstrong et al. 252186 OTHER REFERENCES Jannaway: The Perfumery and Essential Oil Record, June 1938, pp. 220-223.

Sagarin: Cosmetics, Intersciene Pub., 1957, p. 511.

JULIAN S. LEVITT, Primary Examiner.

MORRIS O. WOLK, Examiner.

UNITED STATES 'VPATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,193,464 July 6, 1965 Walter W. Edman et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 5, line 35, for "l/2" read 1/8 lines 52 and 53, strike out "the comprising".

Signed and sealed this 15th day of February 1966;

( L) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER- Commissioner of Patents I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION tent No 3,193 ,464 July 6, 1965 Walter W. Edman et a1.

error appears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby certified that t the said Letters Patent should read as Lt requiring correction and the ,rrected below.

Column 5, line 35, for "1/2" read 1/8 lines 52 d 53, strike out "the comprising".

SigrIerI and sealed this 15th day of February 1966.

\TEST W. SWIDER :sting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents 

1. A HAIR BLEACHING COMPOSITION COMPRISING THE COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A BLEACH BASE, A BLEACHING AGENT, A BLEACH BOOSTER AND A COOLANT; SAID BLEACH BASE BEING A CRRIER, CONTAINING AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE IN AN AMOUNT TO PROVIDE 1/2 TO 1**1/2% FREE AMMONIA; SAID BLEACHING AGENT BEING HYDROGEN PEROXIDE; SAID BLEACH BOOSTER CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST ONE WATER SOLUBLE PERSULFATE IN COMBINATION WITH SODIUM METASILICATE; AND, SAID COOLANT BEING UREA IN AN AMOUNT TO PRODUCE A COOLANT EFFECT ON THE HEAD IN THE USE OF SAID BLEACHING COMPOSITION. 